wealbk05-第80章

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inhabited。　In　Ireland；　therefore；　the　consumption　of　the　taxed

commodities　might；　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　the　people；　be

still　less　than　Scotland；　and　the　facility　of　smuggling　nearly

the　same。　In　America　and　the　West　Indies　the　white　people　even　of

the　lowest　rank　are　in　much　better　circumstances　than　those　of

the　same　rank　in　England；　and　their　consumption　of　all　the

luxuries　in　which　they　usually　indulge　themselves　is　probably

much　greater。　The　blacks；　indeed；　who　make　the　greater　part　of

the　inhabitants　both　of　the　southern　colonies　upon　the　continent

and　of　the　West　India　islands；　as　they　are　in　a　state　of　slavery；

are；　no　doubt；　in　a　worse　condition　than　the　poorest　people

either　in　Scotland　or　Ireland。　We　must　not；　however；　upon　that

account；　imagine　that　they　are　worse　fed；　or　that　their

consumption　of　articles　which　might　be　subjected　to　moderate

duties　is　less　than　that　even　of　the　lower　ranks　of　people　in

England。　In　order　that　they　may　work　well；　it　is　the　interest　of

their　master　that　they　should　be　fed　well　and　kept　in　good　heart

in　the　same　manner　as　it　is　his　interest　that　his　working　cattle

should　be　so。　The　blacks　accordingly　have　almost　everywhere　their

allowance　of　rum　and　molasses　or　spruce　beer　in　the　same　manner

as　the　white　servants；　and　this　allowance　would　not　probably　be

withdrawn　though　those　articles　should　be　subjected　to　moderate

duties。　The　consumption　of　the　taxed　commodities；　therefore；　in

proportion　to　the　number　of　inhabitants；　would　probably　be　as

great　in　America　and　the　West　Indies　as　in　any　part　of　the

British　empire。　The　opportunities　of　smuggling；　indeed；　would　be

much　greater；　America；　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　the

country；　being　much　more　thinly　inhabited　than　either　Scotland　or

Ireland。　If　the　revenue；　however；　which　is　at　present　raised　by

the　different　duties　upon　malt　and　malt　liquors　were　to　be　levied

by　a　single　duty　upon　malt；　the　opportunity　of　smuggling　in　the

most　important　branch　of　the　excise　would　be　almost　entirely

taken　away：　and　if　the　duties　of　customs；　instead　of　being

imposed　upon　almost　all　the　different　articles　of　importation；

were　confined　to　a　few　of　the　most　general　use　and　consumption；

and　if　the　levying　of　those　duties　were　subjected　to　the　excise

laws；　the　opportunity　of　smuggling；　though　not　so　entirely　taken

away；　would　be　very　much　diminished。　In　consequence　of　those　two；

apparently；　very　simple　and　easy　alterations；　the　duties　of

customs　and　excise　might　probably　produce　a　revenue　as　great　in

proportion　to　the　consumption　of　the　most　thinly　inhabited

province　as　they　do　at　present　in　proportion　to　that　of　the　most

populous。

　　　　　The　Americans；　it　has　been　said；　indeed；　have　no　gold　or

silver　money；　the　interior　commerce　of　the　country　being　carried

on　by　a　paper　currency；　and　the　gold　and　silver　which

occasionally　come　among　them　being　all　sent　to　Great　Britain　in

return　for　the　commodities　which　they　receive　from　us。　But

without　gold　and　silver；　it　is　added；　there　is　no　possibility　of

paying　taxes。　We　already　get　all　the　gold　and　silver　which　they

have。　How　is　it　possible　to　draw　from　them　what　they　have　not？

　　　　　The　present　scarcity　of　gold　and　silver　money　in　America　is

not　the　effect　of　the　poverty　of　that　country；　or　of　the

inability　of　the　people　there　to　purchase　those　metals。　In　a

country　where　the　wages　of　labour　are　so　much　higher；　and　the

price　of　provisions　so　much　lower　than　in　England；　the　greater

part　of　the　people　must　surely　have　wherewithal　to　purchase　a

greater　quantity　if　it　were　either　necessary　or　convenient　for

them　to　do　so。　The　scarcity　of　those　metals；　therefore；　must　be

the　effect　of　choice；　and　not　of　necessity。

　　　　　It　is　for　transacting　either　domestic　or　foreign　business

that　gold　and　silver　money　is　either　necessary　or　convenient。

　　　　　The　domestic　business　of　every　country；　it　has　been　shown　in

the　second　book　of　this　Inquiry；　may；　at　least　in　peaceable

times；　be　transacted　by　means　of　a　paper　currency　with　nearly　the

same　degree　of　conveniency　as　by　gold　and　silver　money。　It　is

convenient　for　the　Americans；　who　could　always　employ　with　profit

in　the　improvement　of　their　lands　a　greater　stock　than　they　can

easily　get；　to　save　as　much　as　possible　the　expense　of　so　costly

an　instrument　of　commerce　as　gold　and　silver；　and　rather　to

employ　that　part　of　their　surplus　produce　which　would　be

necessary　for　purchasing　those　metals　in　purchasing　the

instruments　of　trade；　the　materials　of　clothing；　several　parts　of

household　furniture；　and　the　ironwork　necessary　for　building　and

extending　their　settlements　and　plantations；　in　purchasing；　not

dead　stock；　but　active　and　productive　stock。　The　colony

governments　find　it　for　their　interest　to　supply　the　people　with

such　a　quantity　of　papermoney　as　is　fully　sufficient　and

generally　more　than　sufficient　for　transacting　their　domestic

business。　Some　of　those　governments；　that　of　Pennsylvania

particularly；　derive　a　revenue　from　lending　this　paper…money　to

their　subjects　at　an　interest　of　so　much　per　cent。　Others；　like

that　of　Massachusetts　Bay；　advance　upon　extraordinary　emergencies

a　paper…money　of　this　kind　for　defraying　the　public　expense；　and

afterwards；　when　it　suits　the　conveniency　of　the　colony；　redeem

it　at　the　depreciated　value　to　which　it　gradually　falls。　In　1747；

that　colony　paid；　in　this　manner；　the　greater　part　of　its　public

debts　with　the　tenth　part　of　the　money　for　which　its　bills　had

been　granted。　It　suits　the　conveniency　of　the　planters　to　save

the　expense　of　employing　gold　and　silver　money　in　their　domestic

transactions；　and　it　suits　the　conveniency　of　the　colony

governments　to　supply　them　with　a　medium　which；　though　attended

with　some　very　considerable　disadvantages；　enables　them　to　save

that　expense。　The　redundancy　of　paper…money　necessarily　banishes

gold　and　silver　from　the　domestic　transactions　of　the　colonies；

for　the　same　reason　that　it　has　banished　those　metals　from　the

greater　part　of　the　domestic　transactions　in　Scotland；　and　in

both　countries　it　is　not　the　poverty；　but　the　enterprising　and

projecting　spirit　of　the　people；　their　desire　of　employing　all

the　stock　which　they　can　get　as　active　and　productive　stock；

which　has　occasioned　this　redundancy　of　paper…money。　　　In　the

exterior　commerce　which　the　different　colonies　carry　on　with

Great　Britain；　gold　and　silver　are　more　or　less　employed　exactly

in　proportion　as　they　are　more　or　less　necessary。　Where　those

metals　are　not　necessary　they　seldom　appear。　Where　they　are

necessary　they　are　generally　found。

　　　　　In　the　commerce　between　Great　Britain　and　the　tobacco

colonies　the　British　goods　are　generally　advanced　to　the

colonists　at　a　pretty　long　credit；　and　are　afterwards　paid　for　in

tobacco；　rated　at　a　certain　price。　It　is　more　convenient　for　the

colonists　to　pay　in　tobacco　than　in　gold　and　silver。　It　would　be

more　convenient　for　any　merchant　to　pay　for　the　goods　which　his

correspondents　had　sold　to　him　in　some　other　sort　of　goods　which

he　might　happen　to　deal　in　than　in　money。　Such　a　merchant　would

have　no　occasion　to　keep　any　part　of　his　stock　by　him　unemployed；

and　in　ready　money；　for　answering　occasional　demands。　He　could

have；　at　all　times；　a　larger　quantity　of　goods　in　his　shop　or

warehouse；　and　he　could　deal　to　a　greater　extent。　But　it　seldom

happens　to　be　convenient　for　all　the　correspondents　of　a　merchant

to　receive　payment　for　the　goods　which　they　sell　to　him　in　goods

of　some　other　kind　which　he　happens　to　deal　in。　The　British

merchants　who　trade　to　Virginia　and　Maryland　happen　to　be　a

particular　set　of　correspondents；　to　whom　it　is　more　convenient

to　receive　payment　for　the　goods　which　they　sell　to　those

colonies　in　tobacco　than　in　gold　and　silver。　They　expect　to　make

a　profit　by　the　sale　of　the　tobacco。　They　could　make　none　by　that

of　the　gold　and　silver。　Gold　and　silver；　therefore；　very　seldom

appear　in　the　commerce　betwee